Google Maps To Erase Location History Soon—Save It Before THIS Date To Avoid Losing Data

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New Delhi: Google is making big changes to how it handles your location history. The tech giant announced that it will soon delete all location history saved in Google Maps. This includes data from the ‘Timeline’ feature which tracks and stores your movements. Your past location data will no longer be stored with this update. Curious about what’s changing and why? Here’s everything you need to know.

Google Maps to Clear Old Location History

Google has started notifying users about a significant update regarding location history. Starting December 1, all data older than three months will be deleted. Since December 2023, Google has been storing your location history on your device instead of in the Google Cloud. Now, even this device-stored data will be wiped out as part of the new initiative.

Here’s how you can save your data:

If you rely on Google Maps' Timeline feature to revisit past trips, track commutes or relive favorite memories, it’s time to act quickly. Google has set a deadline of December 8 for users to download and save location history data older than three months. After this date, any unsaved data will be permanently deleted.

To save your data, Google has provided a link in its warning emails. Clicking the link will guide you through the steps to download your location history. You can also decide whether to keep your data indefinitely or enable automatic deletion after three months.

A report from Android Authority reveals that some users who selected the ‘Keep until you delete’ option have noticed their Timeline data being deleted unexpectedly. To avoid losing your location history, it’s advisable to export your data first using Google Takeout.

Here’s how you can save your Timeline data:

- Visit takeout.google.com.

- Deselect all options except Location History (Timeline).

- Click on ‘Next step.’

- Tap ‘Create export.’

Once the export is complete, you’ll have a secure copy of your Timeline data even if it gets deleted later.